Coming Events

Middle Distance Championships

Urgent Message to all bush-orienteers - entries for the excellent
double-header weekend planned for the Victorian Championships are closing soon.
Get your entry in now - and you may still get in without paying a $5 late fee.
This feature weekend will use two of the maps used in the 2006 Easter Carnival -
anybody that took part then will attest to the quality of the terrain - these
two events will be the best running this season!

We're running the first day - the Middle Distance Championships and rumour
has it that Laurie Niven has set superb courses for the event. Deadman's Flat is
so complex in parts that we decided to print it out at 1:7,500 - so people could
interpret the map more easily. We need everybody there for lots of reasons...

We like to share - it will be a great day, why not come along and join in?

We will need helpers - to assist with the myriad of things that need to be
done to run such an event

Both this event and the one on the following day are worth Rockhopper
Points - we've won this most years in the last two centuries and see no reason
why we cannot do the same again this year.

Please note - accommodation in Castlemaine is scarce as there is a car-club
activity on that weekend. Book accommodation early if you plan to stay overnight
in the area. We will of course be running a club-dinner on the Saturday Night -
please let Schon or Geoff Hudson know if you will join us for dinner.

Recent Events

The Maxi 3 Hour - at Hepburn Springs

Congratulations
to everybody that took part!

The terrain was steeper than in
previous years and this presented a real challenge to those that took part.
Route choice was critical and it was interesting to see that the 3 winning
runners all went much the same way - diverging on one or two controls in the
North-Eastern corner of the map.

The assembly location was one of the prettiest start locations that we've
come across in many years; having access to clean toilets, running water and
the barbecues and tables in the rotunda made everything that much more
comfortable for those present.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather - beautiful sunny conditions
during the event and for the food and presentations....that gradually
deteriorated as we picked up controls and packed the trailer. We had just
got the cover over the trailer when the heavens opened - and then drove home
to Melbourne in pouring rain!

Member News

Bernie Shuttleworth has just returned from 2 months
holiday touring the coastline and environs from Broome down to Perth.

Ian Stirling has become a fanatical bridge-player and
has recently played hookey from a couple of events to take part in
bridge-tournaments; apparently, these tournaments are even more stressful than
taking part in relays...wow! This must really be a high-pressure activity!

Bill Johnson notes that a Chocolate Mill has sprung up
just to the North of our Hepburn Springs map - apparently well worth a visit
if you're passing through.

Welcome to the following New Members:

The Thulin Family - recently arrived from Sweden.
Anders and Mia are both highly-experienced orienteers and have recently
moved over to Melbourne. They have two (very cute) daughters - Tilda (5 yo)
and Agnes (3 yo). We look forward to seeing more of them once they settle
into life in Melbourne.

Paul Archibald and Desiree Pettit (plus the gentlest
dog one is ever likely to come across - and they did tell me his name - but
I omitted to write it down...) recently joined at a Saturday afternoon
park-street event. If you see a fit looking young couple with a
grey-coloured greyhound - please go over and introduce yourself to them.

The Buckmaster family - Louise, Tom and Alice have
recently joined and will most likely take part in our park-street activities
this summer.

Bernard and Carla Daly (although I don't have much
detail here - perhaps Bernard could drop me an email note to say hello).

Chris Bellhouse and Marshall Nheu - students at
Melbourne High who took part in the Maxi and will join us at other events in
the future. These lads may need transport to events - so please help out if
you can.

Club Clothing

With so many new members - the committee recently approved
the purchase of more than $4000 of additional NE running tops etc. Please - it
is important that we get as many people as possible in club-tops as this is the
best way of identifying fellow club-members. Remember - if you see someone in an
Emu top that you don't know - please go over and introduce yourself to them.

New members that would like to find out about club tops
etc should contact Schon Hudson on 9888 8121 or at any event - or Fiona Shaw on
9749 4941 in the Western suburbs.

Vin-Maloney Trophy

Apparently the Vin Maloney trophy was run at the
club-championship day at Franklyn Gorge - full report next issue....

Emus Course-Setters for the Summer Series

Courses setters are required for the events being hosted
by NE over the coming Summer Series. I have a few names against events to start
with as a result of the first round of club bidding for events. Please assist if
can by placing the numbers 1 and 2 against events to indicate your 1st and 2nd
event preferences and then return to Ian Stirling (or call him on 9876 3643) -
we need to have course-setters in place for ALL events before the series starts.

Southern Summer Series Course Setter

Mon 21 Jan Endeavour Greens

Mon 11 Feb Kangaroo Flat - - - - - - - - - - -
- - Barry Giles

Eastern Summer Series

Wed 28 Nov Bayswater - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - Rick Bailes

Wed 26 Dec Boronia Bay

Wed 23 Jan Burnley Maze

Northern Summer Series

Thur 1 Nov Eltham

Thur 6 Dec Ruffey Creek - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - David Prentice

Thur 24 Jan Bundoora Park

Thur 7 Feb Darebin Park

Thur 28 Feb Springthorpe - - - - - - - -
- - - - - Jeff Hughes

Thur 27 Mar Rosanna Parklands

Newsletter Editor Needed

We were deluged by offers of assistance here and it is
taking some time to sort through the applications and arrange the first round of
interviews. Please bear with us, we'll get back to you real soon....